Journal bearing



Oct. 4, 1932. A. M. MIHELL 1,880,353

Patented Oct. 4, 1932 PTENT FFIC- ANTHONY G. M. MICHELL, OF MELBOUBN, AUSTRALIA JOURNAL BEARING Application filed Septembr 9, 1929, Serial No. 39 1 310[ Renewed iTifly s, 1932,

This invention relates to j ournal bearings More specifically stated, the invention relates to journal bearings in whieh the journal .is supported in pivoted bearing pads. and such a bearing is illustrated in Michell Patent No. 1,617,719. Bearings of this typ have been subject to certain difficulties, sueh as expansion by heating .when under load. This invention has for its salient objet to provide an improved bearing of the type speeified, se construeted and arranged thatthe expansion of certain parts thereof, due to heating, Will not detraet from nor interfere with the effective Operation of the bearing. Further objects of the invention Will apappear from the following specifieatibn taken in connection with the drawings, whieh form a part of this application, and in Which Fig. 1 is a sectiohal elvation Of'abestring 26 of the type specified, showing the baring as heretoforeeonstructed; r

' Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional elevatioii similar to Fig. 1 but showing the iinprdved construction of the bearing;

Fig. 3 is a .deta.il sectional elevation taken at right angles to Fig.2, sh0vving one form of adjusting means for the bearing pads; Fig. 4 is an elevational vieW of one of the bearing pads showing a slightly modifid operation of the bearing or cause the bearing pad to grip the journal or the supporting il) housing in which the pads are mounted.

Further details of the invention Will appear from the following description.

In the bearing construction illustrated in Fig. 1, the journal or shaft 10'is supported against forces tendingto displace thejournal radially bya series' of bearing pads 12, 13,

14, 15,16 and 17 which are niounted andsupportd in a fixed housing' 18'. The hous ing may be formed as a continuous ring or ma be split ordivided to adniit'thejmirnal. "ID.

either case, however, the housing is rig idly suppofied.

The bearing pads may be pivotally sup-. ported in the housing as the pad 12 illustrated in Fig 1, for the purpose of facilitat ing the lubrication as explained in Paten No. 1,617,719 above referrd t0.

In order to restrict or prevent radial dis-- plaeernent of the journal, itis usuafly neces sary tolimit the radial clearances' between the journal and the padsand between the pads and the housing torelatively small magnitudes for admitting the necessary lubricam ing films. In the Operation of the bearing, heat is generated by fiuid friction in the film of lubrieantbetween the rotating journal and the pads and such heat is ordinarily, dissipated by conduction outwardly to the frame of the machine. The journal and the pads attaii1 a higher temperature than the housing and consequently 'sonietinies expand radially relatively tQ*the housiig t0 agr eater.

eztent than is penitted by the radial clear ances. This, of course, interferes With the efiieient operation of the bearing and sometiineS r'esults in seizii1g. p

' In the form of thirivention illustrated in Fig. 2,the journal 10 is supported in a' plurality of-bearing pads 22, 23', 24, 25, 26 and 2?, Which in turn'are carriedby and supportedir 1thehousing18A I v The bearing pads areshaped somewhtt in the form of erescents, each pad -being j hoilow and consisting of a cylindrical pore tien 28 adapted {tdengagethe journal, and an outr' portion 29 also having a eylin'drical bearing surface engagifig a yliridricalseat in tli e-hol l sing 18A.

The parts 28 and 29 ofthpad may be formed integral or, if dsired, ashown par tieuiarly in Figf4, miy be formed of separate parts secured together in any suitable manner, as by'wlding, as showri at 30'.

The outer surface df the part 29 is prfer- A ably arrahged unSmmetrially with respect to the axes 01 the journalahdpad, as shown inFig. 2,in "Whioh the direction of rotation of the oiirnal is indiated b y anarrow. Furthetnri0re, the portion 28 'of the bearing pad is also arranged unsymmetricallyior the Purbut that shown in Fig. 3 consistsof a bolt 31' which extends through a h0le 32 inthebear ing pad, the hole being elongated rzidially,

as shown in Fig. 2, to admit radial adjust ment of the pad. Nuts 33 are carried by the bolt 32 and engagthesides ofthe pad;

The bolts 31 are carried by the housing and wlieri the nuts 33 are lo0sened the'pads Can be n1ovedlongitudinally cn the bolts. The inclihed Surfaces of the pad and housing cause the pads to be adjusted toward or away from the axis of the journal as the pads are moved on the bolts. Wheh adjusted tothe desired position, the nuts' can be tightened,

ths limiting the clearahce. 'Washers are prefei*ably interposed betWeen the nuts and pads and the nuts are not turned tight enough to prevent movementof, the pads in the housing.

It should be.understood that any other form of adjuSting means may be used, if desiied. For instance, instead of adjusting the pads, the.housing itself could be formed in segments and adjusted toward-and aWay frm the axis of the journal.

In the forin of the, invention illustrated in Fig. 4, the two parts 28 and 29 of the bearing pad may be formed of metals having diierent coeflicients of expansion, the inner part 28 haVing a higher coefiicient than the outer part 29. Fig. 5 illustrates somevvhat diagrarhmatically the action of the bearing, due to heating. OWing to the transfer of the heat outwardly, the inner part 28 of eachbearingpad assumes a higher temperature and expands to a greater extent circumferentially than the outer part 29. The outer.part 29 may be considered as Comprising tw0 limbs or segments 29a and 296 meeting ,at C and connected to.the part 29 at points A .andB respectively.

For the purpose of considering the action ofthe pad due to heating, only the relative expansion of the parts need be considered, and the original lengths AC and BC of the parts 29a and 296 -respectively may be re-' garded as remaining constant, whilethe,

length AB of the part 28 increasesby an amount corresponding to the excess of its temperature over the temperature of the parts AC and BC,.wlfile the original length,AB is increased t0 A B by the expansion due to heating. As a result of this expansion, the bearing pad is deformed or changes shape, taking the form indicated by the dotted limes in Fig. 5 and becoming on the whole of increased circumferential length, but reduced axial breadth. The part 29a Will romain in contact with the coacting surface of the housing but the inner surface of'the part 28 of the pad Will be displaced outwardly, thus allowingf0r"an outwardradial expansion of the journal and for a general expansion of the pad as a Whole, due to any excess in temporature of the pad over the temperature of the 'housing.

The effect brought outin the preceding paragraph may be increasedrby the cOnstruc, tion shown in F ig.4, in which, as above ex plained, the part 28 is fr1hed*of metal having a higher coeflicient of expansion than the remaining portion of the pad; BeCause of this form of construction the elongation of the part 28 circumfercntially of thejournal Wlll be increased or magnified.

F rom the foregoing description it will loe clear that bearing pads constructed as described Will continue to operate efiiciently after expansion, dueto heating, and the expansion of the bearing pads Will take place in such directions as to; permit the expansion of he journal without gripping the bearing pa s.

Although certain specific embodimcnts of the invention have been particularly sh own and described,it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and that changes in the construction and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What 'Iclaimis: a

,1. A hollow bearing pad unit of-generzzlly triangular configuration, for use in journal bearing housings, comprising a -curved section adapted to engage the journal and form a sector of a cylindrical bearing, and an outer section spaced from and fixedly cnnectedto said curved Section,said outersction having a surface adapted to Seat against thehoSing.

2. A hollowbearirig pad unit of generally triangular configuration, for use in journal beaiing hoi1sings, 'comprising a 'cylindrical section adapted to engage the journal and form asector of a ylindfical bearing, and an outer section spaced from and fixedly connected to said cylindrical section, said outer section having a Surface to seat against the housing;. I V

3. Ahollow bearing pad unit of generally triangular configuration for use in a journal bearing housing andadapted to"forma sectorofa cylindrical journal bearing, saidunit having integrally connected spaced bearing and supporting sections, said supporting sec against the housing.

5. A hollow bearing pad unit of generally triangular configuration for use in journal bearing housings, adapted to form a sector of a cylindrical journal bearing, said unit having spaced bearing and supporting sections, said sections being formed on metals ha'ving diiferent coeflicients of expansion, and

said supporting section having a surface adapted to seat against the housmg.

6. A hollow crescent shaped bearing pad unit of generally triangular configuration for use in a journal bearing housing, and

adapted to form a sector of a cylindrical j ournal bearing, said unit having integrally connected spaced bearing and supporting sections, said supporting section having a surface adapted to seat against the housing.

7 A hollow bearing pad unit of generally triangular configuration for use in a journal bearing housing and adapted to form a sector or" a cylindrical journal bearing, said unit having separated bearing and supporting sections formed of material having diferent coefficients of expansion, said supporting section having a surface adapted to seat against the housing.

8. A hollow bearing pad unit of generally triangular configuration for use in a journal bearing housing adapted to form a sector of a cylindrical journal bearing, said unit having separated bearing and supporting sections formed of material having difierent coefficients of expansion, the bearing section having a higher coefiicient of expansion than the supporting sections, and said bearing section having a surface adapted to seat against the housing. r

9. A hollow bearing pad unit of generally triangular configuration for use in a journal bearing housing and adapted to form a sector of a cylindrical journal bearing, said unit having an elongated relatively thin bearing section, and a supporting section fixedly connected' thereto and spaced theref1om, said supporting section having a surface adapted to seat against the housing.

10. In combination, a housing, an annular series of bearing pads forming a eylindrical bearing surface for a journal, said pads having spaced bearing and supporting parts s0 11. A hollow bearing pad unit comprising a curved bearing section, a curved seating Section having an end connected thereto adjacent an end of the bearing section, said sections being spaced from each,other, and an additional section connecting said curved sections adjacent their other ends.

ANTHONY G. M. MICHELL.

constructed and arranged that the bearing 7 parts Will expand t0 a greater degree than the supporting parts, thus efiecting a contraction in the radial dimensions of the pads. 

